Hello Friends of the Bambino!

The irony of this morning’s news of an E. coli outbreak caused by tainted lettuce is too rich to ignore…I mean, you try to be healthy (say, by eating salad), and you end up a huddled mass on the bathroom floor or, worse, in a hospital bed attached to an IV.

Hello Friends of the Bambino!

It’s baa-ack…your Fab Five Faves that is, with a look at the most loved items over the past 2 weeks:

	1.  Sprig Hollow Dragonfly’s Heli-Scoopter (sale price $9.95; normally $15) As you know, Sprig Toys specializes in making truly innovative non-toxic toys, and here is just one more example of the company’s ingenuity.  The Heli-Scoopter is a 5 in 1 sand/dirt/water toy that’s great for both indoor and outdoor use, so rain, shine or bathtime, it will keep your active child flying high.
	2.  BabyGanics Air Freshener & Odor Remover ($5.99) To paraphrase Jackie Wilson, your love keeps lifting BabyGanics higher and higher.  Not sure what you’ve been feeding your little ones lately (we kid, we kid), but it seems there’s been a growing need for this fantastic air freshener/odor remover.  And with our BabyGanics sale still in full swing, this baby might just reach the top of the charts.
	3.  VMV Hypoallergenics Gift Set (sale price $60; normally $75) Give this gift and you’ll have a friend for life.  Why?  Because VMV makes the most lust-worthy body care products around – the first to be rated VH-65, meaning they are free of all 65 known allergens.  Inside this gift set – beautifully packaged in a hand-made cream-and-chocolate box with an espresso-colored bow — you’ll find carry-on approved travel sizes of VMV’s complete line of baby products, plus a set of Hypoallergenic Bonnet & Booties.  We’ve never put this item on sale before, so here’s your opportunity to take advantage of us.
	4.  Clean Well All-Natural Travel Hand Sanitizer ($3) Whether you’re an everyday germaphobe (like me) or getting ready for a family vacation (GERM-any anyone?), Clean Well’s travel size hand sanitizers – offered in Original Scent or Orange Vanilla – are just the thing to beat back all those evil little fever-inducing meanies.  Also available in a 6 oz. spray pump and pocket wipes.
	5.  DANO2 Ducki Bath Toy/Teether ($8) If bathing and teething are part of your daily routine, well, maybe you should see a doctor about the teething.  But if you’ve got a child who meets that description, then you’ve got to get him a Ducki.  Offered in 4 cheerful pastels – Caribbean (blue), Mint, Raspberry and Citrus (yellow) – Ducki is cool as a cucumber and free of BPA, phthalates, lead and PVC.

Speaking of rubber ducks, we just had a chance to dive into Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Dangers of Everyday Things, a book recently released in the U.S. by Rick Smith (Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada) & Bruce Laurie (a Canadian environmental activist) about the real-world impacts of exposure to toxic chemicals in everyday products.  It’s a freakishly magnetic read.  Over the course of a few days the authors intentionally expose themselves to all manner of toxins – from BPA and phthalates to teflon and canned tuna – in order to determine the chemicals’ adverse effects.  Though the experiment may be a little bit unscientific, the book contains some compelling revelations and we urge you to check it out.

Hello Friends of the Bambino!

As you know, last week the Fab Five Faves took a short vacation while its understudy – Greeno Bambino’s first survey of 2010 – got a chance to shine.  The response was tremendous and tremendously enlightening.  Thanks so much to all those who offered their thoughts; we are working hard to implement your super suggestions.

Now, on to the good stuff.  In this week’s edition of Fab Five Faves, we’ve got fun, sun and a little something for everyone:

	1.  Green Toys Jump Rope ($10) Made from 100% recycled milk jugs, Green Toys’ jump rope is a hopeful reminder that Spring is on its way.
	2.  Erba Organics Baby Travel Kit/Gift Set ($20) Whether heading out of town or searching for a perfect little gift, this is a pick that won’t let you down.  Inside a reusable mandarin orange trimmed zipper case you’ll find travel size containers of Erba’s chemical-free body wash, shampoo, body lotion and diaper cream.
	3.  California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion (sale price $11.95; normally $18.50) Unbeatable protection, unbeatable price.  What else is there to say?
	4.  3 Sprouts Organic Storage Bins ($38) 3 Sprouts’ adorable storage bins are one of our hottest-selling items virtually every week.  They’re the perfect antidote to a messy playroom, and a fitting gift for kids of all ages.
	5.  Thermos Foogo Sippy Cups (sale price $9.95; normally $15) We know how costly it can be to purchase the everyday stuff, so we like to periodically offer deep discounts on staple items like Thermos’ Foogo sippy cups.  Pink or blue, with or without handles, these are among the most sturdy, well-made sippy cups on the market, and we think you’ll find our current sale price hard to beat.

Hello Friends of the Bambino!

We’re a bit conflicted about February.  Spring is close enough to start dreaming about, and the weather is still cold enough for giant snowballs and supreme skiing.  On the other hand, Spring seems painfully far away and it’s so cold that the last thing we want to do is be outside.  But one thing we’re not conflicted about is this week’s Fab Five Faves, because you folks have been ringing up some of our personal favorites:

	1.  Clean Well Antibacterial Foaming Hand Wash Clean Well makes such delicious smelling soaps that we keep begging them to go into the food business.  Alas, they’re sticking to what they know best: offering up eye-catching antibacterial soaps and sanitizers at unbeatable prices.  No more begging your kids to wash their hands after a breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup.  (Speaking of which, who thought it was a good idea to make such a sweet treat so sticky?  Really.  I’d like to have a word with them.)
	2.  Safe Starter Stainless Steel Baby Bottle Some people are just more comfortable with a clear bottle, and that’s cool.  But those of you who’ve given the Safe Starter a shot have been coming back for more.  Featuring non-leaching, food-grade stainless steel and encased in an easy-grip, insulating non-toxic silicone sleeve (which may be left on during heating), this dishwasher safe standout is available in blue, green and pink, in both 5 oz. and 9 oz. versions.
	3.  BabyGanics Loads of Love Laundry Detergent Psst, did you hear?  We’re so sure you’ll love BabyGanics line of non-toxic cleaning products that we’re offering 25% off when you buy any 2 (or more).  Loads of Love is a 3X concentrated, odor-eating, grass-stain-defeating, clothes-cleaning powerhouse.  Good for 35 loads, it rinses completely free for use with cloth diapers.
	4.  Supergoop! Doctor T’s SPF 30 Quickstick Some of you are lucky enough to be planning a vacation to a warm-weather paradise, while others had the foresight to live where the sun shines year-round.  Whichever camp you fall into, lots of you are taking advantage of our winter sale on sunscreens to stock up on this go-anywhere stick of 100% natural protection from Supergoop!
	5.  Elsie’s Original All-Natural Germ Fighter Spray If there’s one item in the store we’ve always expected to sell more of, it’s Elsie’s All-Natural Germ Fighter Spray.  Why?  Because it’s a quick and effective germ and odor fighter with a beautiful lavender scent that you can spray on toys, highchairs, diaper pails and anywhere else you think germs may be lurking.  Well, it seems people are finally catching on.

That’s 5 faves to fit any fancy…We hope you’ve found something you like.

We’re back with our weekly edition of Fab Five Faves – in which we review our customers’ favorite items for the past week.  Looks like GB lovers have two things on the brain so far this holiday season: toys and germs.  Guess that makes sense…What good is fun-time if you’re mired in flu-time?  OK – let’s see what’s topping the charts this week:

	1.  Miss Brittany’s Organic Preschool Fundough Kit The brainchild of an enterprising young New York City pre-school teacher with a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education (aka Miss Brittany), this modeling dough kit is the perfect gift for any toddler who wants to build her own wintry wonderland.  (Comes complete with dough, wood shapes, rolling pin and apron.)
	2.  Sprig Toys Eco-Loader Actually smells like wood, because it’s made from a combination of reclaimed wood and recycled plastic.  A great-looking toy at a great price.
	3.  BabyGanics All-Purpose Biodegradable Surface Wipes The entire line of BabyGanics household cleaners was just recently added to the shop, and these versatile, non-toxic wipes have quickly become a big hit.
	4.  Tree Blocks Like no other blocks in your child’s toy collection, Tree Blocks are the most unique, natural set of blocks around.  Bonus: they’re made by a California-based company with a deep devotion to environmental conservation and workers’ rights.
	5.  VMV Hypoallergenics Grandma Minnie’s Kid Gloves Hand Sanitizer If you demand only the most carefully formulated body care products on the market, accept nothing less than VMV Hypoallergenics.  VMV’s alcohol-free Kid Gloves Hand Sanitizer is gentle yet highly effective, and is free of all 65 known allergens.

Make sure to keep an eye on Greeno Bambino over the next week, as we have some great new products about to hit the shelves.

	1.  Clean Well All-Natural Foaming Hand Sanitizer With swine flu fears circling, Clean Well’s satisfyingly-foamy, quick-drying, non-sticky antibacterial has shot to the top of the list.
	2.  Safe Starter Stainless Steel Baby Bottle A recent introduction to our shop, Kid-Basix’s totally unique, totally durable and totally non-toxic baby bottle makes its first appearance in the Fab Five Faves. Welcome kid – you’re gonna be a star!
	3.  3 Sprouts Organic Storage Bins We can’t say we’re surprised about the continued popularity of these adorable storage bins from Canadian boutique outfit 3 Sprouts. But the number of customers beating down our (virtual) door for these bins since we introduced them last month continues to amaze – easily our most popular gift item recently.
	4.  Erba Organics Baby Lotion Cold weather = dry skin; thus, the popularity of Erba’s deliciously luxurious, everyday baby lotion.
	5.  Dano2 Bug Bite Teether This simple, smartly-designed, self-enclosed teether toy is the perfect antidote for a cranky, tooth-sprouting kid. And at just 6 bucks, it’s a steal.

Now for a few more highlights…

After 6 months of testing a slew of household cleaning products from a wide variety of manufacturers, we are very excited to introduce a full line from our hands-down winner, BabyGanics. Made in the USA by a New-York based pair of dads, BabyGanics’ products continually wiped the floor with the competition.

Also, if you missed this week’s launch of Cool Mom Picks’ 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, we’re proud to have been featured for our Green Toys Chef Set.

See you next week – with some Black Friday deals you won’t want to miss!

Our kids’ nanny called in sick yesterday.  Not that I blame her, she was.  Sick.  And how could she not be?  She schlepps the kids from one petri dish to the next.  (I obviously have germ issues and it’s a miracle I can take both kids out of the house – though truth be told we go through at least a pack of wipes per outing.)  Anyway, our nanny called in sick so naturally I called my mom, who is always there in a pinch.  (And also not in a pinch, thanks mom!)

The kids are lucky; my mom happens to be a teacher of 2 1/2 year olds (same age as our eldest).  So while she’s a terrific Mammie, the kids are always learning something when they’re with her, too.  The thing is, I had to work, so my amazing husband dropped the kiddies off at grandma’s in the morning, picked them up a few hours later, gave them lunch, put them down for naps (unfortunately NOT at the same time), got them up from naps, gave them snacks, put them in the car, took them to the park and played all afternoon.  In other words, he Mannied for the day.  And by all accounts he loved it (not only is he an amazing husband, but also an amazing father).  And OF COURSE the kids loved it too.

I, on the other hand, arrived home only in time to make dinner, give Sabrina the usual bath and bottle and help put them both to bed.  I do love that my husband has his own company, can work from home when he needs to, and has the flexibility to take care of the kids in the morning and at night when I’m in the car commuting an hour each way to my office job.  But I am often jealous that he gets to spend so much more time with our kids.  I will admit, they are a tough twosome, demanding and stubborn just like their mommy.  But they’re sweet, funny and entertaining too – so he is lucky to be with them so much.

But this sick day made me jealous not just of my husband, but of the kids…It made me realize how lucky they are that every morning and night, while I’m trudging to and from the ‘burbs, they get to spend quality time with their daddy.  I wish I got to hang out with him more too.

This is one in an ongoing series of posts from the Green Daddy’s wife, Courtney, who will weigh in periodically with thoughts on being a proud (and occasionally frustrated) mama.  If she keeps penning poetic prose like this, she’ll be featured daily.

Woke up this morning and thought I saw a flying pig in my backyard. Then I realized it was too dark out to see anything, and my hallucination was merely the result of delirium. Five straight days of rising at 4:45 in the morning due to my son’s growing penchant for pre-dawn cartoons will have that effect.

Turns out my over-tired brain was simply mixing its signals. What I think it was trying to tell me was “look out, the swine flu is coming, and it’s coming for you.”

I do my best to keep the big bads at bay, and swine flu most definitely qualifies. So I figured I’d share with you a quick article from Planet Green that hypes two of our favorite products here at Greeno Bambino: Clean Well Hand Sanitizer and VMV Hypoallergenics Grandma Minnie’s Kid Gloves Hand Sanitizer. Both are highly effective, and of course non-toxic.

Check out the article for yourself here.